Mud mixing machine



Oct. 2, 1951 w. P. BLAKE MUD-MIXING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 26, 1951 I NVE NTOR WBBZaZ: e

Oct. 2, 1951 w. P. BLAKE MUD-MIXING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 26, 1951 Z 5 M W YWQ M ATTORNEYS Oct. 2; 1951 w. P. BLAKE MUD-MIXING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 26, 1951 NJUH A Rx mm uwn INVENTOR W BBZake ATTORNEYfi BY MQLW VIN? Patented Oct. 2, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- MUD MIXING MAcHINE' William-Pearle Blake, Fairmont, Okla assignor tel; & B Manufacturing Company, Fairmont,

Okla.

7 Application Mar'enz'e, 1951; serial No'. 217,420

. 3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to' amud mixing machine for usein well drilling operations.

In well drilling operations, particularly where rotary drills are used, itis customary to use mud in the drilling operation; and it is desirable for efiicient operation to maintain a predetermined consistency of the mud. It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a means connectedbetween the outlet or pressure side of the mud pump and the slush pit and operated from the mud pressure for continuously mixing dry mud material with the liquid mud and also maintaining a predetermined percentage of lost'circulation' material in the mud. I e

Another object of this invention is to provide a mud mixing machine which includes a main hopper for receiving dry mud, an auxiliary hopper for receiving lost circulation material, and a suction means whereby the dry mud and circulation material may be drawn from the hoppers and mixed together while at the same time the dry mud and circulation material are mixed with the liquid mud coming from the pump. h

A further object of this invention is to provide a hopper construction wherein they lid for the hopper when swung to an open position may be used as. a table for opening the bags containing dry mud. V

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved impeller and jet nozzle wherein various types and sizes of nozzle tips may be used to produce the desired mixing of the materials. A further object of this invention is to provide a multiple hopperstructure with at least one valve in the discharge end of one of the hoppers so as to regulate the amount or proportion of materials which will be mixed together.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification; and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: h i I Figure 1 is a detailed side elevation partly broken away and in section of a mud mixing machine constructed according to an embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 3. I I

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2. v

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4 -4Q of Figure 3. V V

Figure'5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Figurel.

Figure 6 is'a fragmentary side elevation of the forwardportion of the machine;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary end elevation of the impeller housing.

Figure 8 is a' fragmentary longitudinal section through the'fiuid pressure nozzle.

Figure 9 is a front eleva'tional view of the nozzle tip.

Referring to the drawings'the numeral Illdesignates gener'allya'base structure which is formed of a pair of channel members II connected together by means of a tubular connecting member l2.

The opposite ends of the channel members I I are disposed in upwardly divergent relation as indicated at I3 so that the base I0 may be dragged over the'ground. The channel members I I have secured to the opposite'ends' thereof loops I i by means of which drawbar means maybe connected with'the base It and shifting the latter as may be desired.

The base IIl'has securedto each channel mem ber I I' upright angle member's I5 and a main hopper generally designated as I6 is fixed to the upper end portions of the'uprig ht supporting bars I5; The hopper IB' is formed with downwardly convergent walls I! and with vertically disposed walls I8 extending upwardly from the convergent walls I'I. h

A closure member I9' having marginal flanges 20 is hingedly secured to the top of the hopper IE as indicated at 2|, andwhen theclosure I 9 is disposed in open position as shown in Figure 1, the closure I9 substantially rests on top wall 22 of the hopper.

I The closure I9 when in open position constitutes a table or horizontal support on which filled bags maybepositioned for facilitating the opening of these bags and the discharge of the contents thereof into the; hopper I5.

The hopper I6 is provided with a centrally disposed discharge opening 23, and a laterally adjustable valve plate 24 is slidably carried in guides 25 and is; adapted to regulate the degree of opening of the discharge port 23. The valve member 24' is provided at its outer end with an upstanding extension 25 and a nut 21 is fixed to the extension 26.

A valve adjusting threaded shaft 28 is threaded into the nut 2'! and is rotatably carried by a substantially L-shaped bracket arm 29 having a depending'flange 311 at its inner'end which is secured fastening means 3 1 through the adjacent wall of ahousing 32.

The housing 32' is disposed below the hopper I6 being horizontally disposed and communicating with the discharge opening 23 through an intake opening 33. An auxiliary hopper generally designated as 34 is fixed to the main hopper It being disposed on an angle to the vertical and is provided at its upper or rear end with a hinged closure 35.

The hopper 8:1 communicates at its lower end with the housing 32 through a rear opening 35 formed in the top wall 3'! of the housing 32. A closure plate 38 is slidably carried by the rear end of the housing 32 being disposed on an angle to the vertical and provides a means whereby the interior of the housing 32 may be cleaned or the housing may be examined. An impeller housing generally designated as 39 is disposed between the base members i l and includes an inner wall 40 secured by fastening means ii to the forward end of the housing 32.

The housing 38 also includes a circular wall :32 formed integral with the inner wall (it and a removable outer wall 33 is secured to the circular wall 42 by fastening members M. The housing 39 also includes a pair of oppositely disposed bosses i and 46 extending substantially tangentially of the circular wall s2 and fixed between the base members it by fastening members 41 which also secure threaded bushings 33 and 49 to the outer sides of the base members H.

The bushing 18 is an intake bushing, whereas, the bushing 49 is an outlet bushing.

An impeller wheel generally designated as 53 is rotatably disposed within the housing 39 being secured to a shaft 5| which is journalled in bearings 52 and 53. The shaft 5! projects into the lower portion of the hopper I6 and has secured thereto within the hopper It a pair of agitating members 54.

The impeller wheel 56 comprises a disc shaped member 55 which is fixed to the shaft 51 and the disc member 55 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart openings 55. The openings 56 are adapted to move across the intake opening 5? formed in the inner wall 40 so that the mud in dry form will be drawn into the impeller housing 39 as the impeller wheel 59' rotates.

The disc shaped member 55 has fixed thereto oppositely extending pairs of ribs 5?, terminating at their outer ends in blades 59, and the disc member 55 has disposed between the blades 55 pairs of intermediate blades 58. A pressure nozzle 51 is disposed in a tapered opening e2 formed in the boss 55 and the nozzle 6i is formed at its outer end with internal threads The threads 53 provide a means whereby a nozzle puller may be coupled with a nozzle so as to remove the nozzle from the socket or tapered opening 62.

The nozzle 6i includes a reduced diameter in" termediate bore 84 which forms with a forward larger diameter bore 65 a shoulder 66. A nozzle tip El is disposed within the bore s5 and abuts against the shoulder 55%. The nozzle tip 51 is removably held in the bore or socket 65 by means of a split locking ring 68 engaging in an annular groove E5 formed in the bore or socket 55.

The nozzle tip ti is formed with a central jet opening or bore it, and the tip member 8! at its inner end is provided with a concave recess H which forms a concave or tapered guide for guiding the fluid forwardly to the jet opening 79.

In the use and operation of this device the main hopper H3 is adapted to have discharged thereinto dry mud and the auxiliary hopper 34 is adapted tohave discharged thereinto cottonseed hulls or other material which is used as lost circulation material.

The intake bushing 48 is connected to the pressure side of a mud pump, and the outlet bushing 49 is connected to the slush pit or other receiver.

When the fluid passes under pressure through the nozzle 6! and impinges against the blades 59 and 60, impeller 50 will be rotated at a speed proportionate to the pressure and the velocity of the fluid discharged from the nozzle 6!.

The rotation of impeller 59 will cause a suction to be generated in housing 32 so that the dry mud and circulation material will be drawn into the impeller housing 39 and will be mixed in housing 39 with the fluid discharged from nozzle ti and passing horizontally through bushing to into bushing 49. K

The amount of mud mixed with the lost circulating material which is discharged from hopper 34 into housing 32 may be regulated by adjustment of the valve' member 24. The housing 32 has an opening 12 in the top wall 31 thereof which preferably is an inspection opening in addition to providing a means whereby any dry mud which leaks out of hopper 16 through the opening in hopper [6 within which shaft 5| engages may be drawn intohousing 32.

A vertically disposed U-shaped cover 13 normally is disposed between an adjacent inclined wall I! of hopper l6, and the top wall 31 and closure 13 has extending therefrom an elongated plate 14 which is formed with an elongated opening 15 A wing bolt [6 engages through the opening 15 and provides a means whereby the closure 73 may be loosened and moved outwardly so that an inspection may be had of the interior of housing 32 through opening 12.

The side walls of the hopper it have secured thereto bails ll so that the hopper may be lifted by means of a crane with hooks engaging in the bails 11.

What is claimed is: V

.1. A mud mixing machine comprising a frame, a hopper carried by said frame, a receiver connected with the lower end of said hoppe a, and a suction means connected with said receiver, said suction means comprising a housing having an intake opening communicating with said receiver, opposed inlet and outlet bosses carried by said housing, said inlet boss having a tapered bore, a jet nozzle in said tapered bore, and a combined suction and impeller member rotatably disposed in said housing. I H

2. A mud mixing machine comprising a frame, a hopper carried by said frame, a receiver connected with the lower end of said hopper, a housing secured to one end of said receiver, said housing having a cylindrical side wall, inner and outer end walls, said inner wall having an intake opening communicating with said receiver, a combined impeller and suction member rotatably disposed in said housing, said combined impeller and suction member being formed of a disk having openings movable across said intake opening, suction blades carried by one face of said disk, impeller blades extending from the periphery of said disk, opposed inlet'and outlet bosses carried by said housing, and a jet nozzle carried by said inlet boss.

3. A mud mixing machine comprising a frame, a hopper carried'b'y said frame, a receiver connected with the lower end of said hopper, a housing secured to one end of said receiver, said hous- 5 ing having a cylindrical side wall and inner and outer end walls, said inner wall having an intake opening communicating with said receiver, a shaft extending through said housing and terminating at one end in said hopper, agitating members carried by said one end of said shaft, a combined impeller and suction member fixed to said shaft in said housing, said lastfnamed member comprising a disc having a plurality of openings movable across said intake opening, 10 Number suction blades carried by one face of said disc adjacent said openings, impeller blades extending from the periphery of said disc, opposed inlet and outlet bosses carried by said housing extending in a direction transverse to the plane of 15 6 said disc adjacent said impeller blades, and a jet nozzle carried by said inlet boss.

WILLIAM PEARLE BLAKE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 1,765,544 Schuster June 24, 1930 1,973,274 Wedge Sept. 11, 1934 2,094,839 Gassman et a1 Oct. 5, 1937 2,538,891 Zimmerman etal. Jan. 23, 1951 

